Improvement in bee-hives



H. A. BATHURST.

Improvement in Bee Hives.

N0. l2] 840. Patented Dec.12, H371.,

Wfl/ f PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. BATHURS'I, OF CLEARFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BEE-HIVES.

LSpecication forming part of Letters Patent No. 121,840, dated December 12, 1871.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, HENRY A. BATHURST, of Clearfield, in the county of Clearfield and State of Pennsylvania, have invented anew and valuable Improvement in Bee-Hives, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawing making apart of this specification, and to the letters and iigures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l ofthe drawing is a representation of a horizontal section of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is an clevation of part of my improved hive-door. Fig. 4 is a front view of a section of hive, showing the arrangement of wickets.

This invention has relation to bee-hives, and the novelty consists in the construction and improved arrangement ofthe comb-frames, surplus honey-boxes, protection-valve, wickets, and hivedoors, as and for the purpose hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating this invention, A represents the hive, divided into an upper or comb-frame apartment, and a lower or surplus honey-box apartment, respectively designated by letters B C. The front ofthe apartment C has an inclined roof or lighting-board, c', which allows the more easy removal of any foreign body by the bees. Behind this roof is an upright partition, c, perforated to correspond with perforations in the forward part of the honey-boxes. A pair of sliding wickets, E, serve to close or open these perforations, and are moved by means of Wire handles or rods F projecting outside the hive. G designates a hinged door, which may be closed, when desired, to shut out robbers or moths, or keep in the stock. g represents a passage for the bees to enter the combframe apartment from the lighting-board. The comb-frames are marked H, and are arranged to fit the hive in the oblique position shown at Fig. 1. The top bars of the comb-frames are dovetailed, and slide into dovetailed recesses cut in the top of the hive, or in an interior surplus ceiling, I. The front and back of the hive above the apartment C are double-walled, each wall having a beveled opening, to which is fitted a beveled door, I I. The inner doors Il are furnished with glass Windows J and both with hinged handles. These doors tit their places closely, and are not so tightened by expansion as to prevent their being withdrawn. The outer doors are constructed with dovetailed tapering battens K, which tit coi responding recesses in the doors very closely, and without the use of nails or screws. One end of the hatten projects beyond the edge of the door, and is diminished in size and iitted to a chamber in the edge ofthe hive opening. When in position the outer doors are kept in place bymeans of buttons L. These buttons prevent the door from swelling or contracting. The reason of the oblique arrangement of the combframes is that the bees, when left to themselves, generally build their combs in a diagonal position with reference to the walls of the hive 5 hence, this arrangement suits them better than any other. M indicates the surplus honey-boxes inserted from the back of the hive. N represents the door which closes up the surplus-box apartment, and L the buttons which hold said door in place.

The bees, it will be observed, have direct access to the surplus-honey boxes from the outside ofthe hive, and, consequently, in a busy season, much time is saved. The passages to these boxes may be closed by the wickets until sufficient honey has accumulated in the upper apartment to winter stock, after which they are opened so to let the bees iill the boxes, which afterward may be removed from the back of the hive without disturbing any of the other interior arrangements of the hive.

I claim as my invention- The inclined lighting-board c and door G, in combination with the comb-frame apartment B and honey-box apartment C, relatively arranged as set forth.

In testimony' that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence ot two witnesses.

HENRY A. BATHURST. Witnesses:

I. G. BERGER,

D. M. WELCH. (9) 

